The mighty and mythical F4U Corsair, from prototype to Super Corsair, has to be one of the most impressive fighter aircraft of the World War 2. A legend ... probably the most successful fighter design in the history of military aviation!

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Big and very powerful, its surprising bent wing design, special birdcage cockpit and large engine and fuselage gave it a very distinctive look.

 

The first prototype was delivered in 1940, and series production began in 1942. Production ends in1953 with 12571 planes being built, the longest production period of any US fighter.

 

The F4U fighters were in active service during the World War 2, the Korean War, the First Indochina War, Algerian War, the Suez Crisis, Tunisian incident and finally the Football War between El Salvador and Honduras which ends in 1969.

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The F4U Corsair remains in front line service  with the US Navy and the US Marines, the Royal Navy, the French Aéronaval, the RNZAF, The Argentine Navy, The airforce of El Salvador and the Hondurian airforce, far longer than any of its contemporaries.

 

The F4U history is not well known compared with other World War 2 fighters. It operated in the Atlantic and the Pacific theatre, few people know that... Perhaps the looks are the reason, or the knowledge of the company’s Vought, Goodyear and Brewster that produced this powerful monster ? The real reason is  probably that the plane entered rather late in World War 2.

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F4U Corsair, is the best fighter there is ...It's rugged...It's a workhorse...You can use it for ...everything, and it's effective ... You can shoot anything off or out that plane and it still goes ... !!" 

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Whatever, this aircraft deserves recognition and respect for many reasons. Not only as a dog fighter but also as a quality bomber, the F4U Corsair could lift almost the payload of a B-17 in bombs ..., making it a powerful ground attack aircraft. That the F4U Corsair could perform as a fighter and a bomber is due to the pilots and to the aircraft for its rugged construction which enables it to take severe punishment from enemy guns and still get home.

 

The ability of the F4U to "dish it out" is a familiar story. Navy and Marine pilots also know its ability to "take it".  

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